A School History of the Great War eBook

NAVAL SITUATION AT THE CLOSE OF 1914.—­As
a result of the activities of the Allied fleets, the
German navy was shut up in port back of its mine fields,
German commerce raiders had, with a few exceptions,
been driven from the sea or destroyed, German merchant
vessels were laid up in neutral or German ports, and
the Allies were free to carry on the transport of
troops, munitions, and other supplies with practically
no fear of interference from the enemy. “The
British ships, whether men-of-war or merchantmen,
are upon the sea, the German in their ports.”

SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY.—­1.
Locate Metz, Cologne, Liege, Namur, Lille, Verdun;
the Meuse, the Marne, the Oise, the Aisne; Lemberg,
Warsaw, Koenigsberg. 2. Look at a large map of
Europe and by reference to the scale find out the
following distances: Metz to Paris; Cologne
to Paris (via Liege); Verdun to Berlin; Verdun
to Strassburg; Liege to Paris; Warsaw to Berlin.
What is the length of the Belgian coast-line;
of the Dutch coast-line; of the Franco-German frontier?
3. Collect pictures and charts illustrative of
trench warfare, and of devastated areas of Belgium
and France. 4. Explain fully the influence
of geography upon the campaigns of 1914. 5.
Define neutrality; guarantee; treaty. 6.
On an outline map of Europe indicate the countries
fighting against Germany at the close of 1914.
Indicate those fighting on the side of Germany
at that time. Indicate the date when each
of these countries entered the war. Draw a line
showing the farthest German advance into France, and
the farthest Russian advance into Germany and
Austria (map, page 124). 7. What might have
been the consequences if the Belgians had not
resisted the German invasion? 8. Describe the
German effort to reach the French coast in 1914.
What would have been the probable consequences
of its success? 9. What was the purpose of
the English blockade of Germany? How did
this blockade affect the rights of neutrals? Find
out what the United States government did in the
matter.

REFERENCES.—­War Cyclopedia
(C.P.I.); Study of the Great War (C.P.I.);
McKinley, Collected Materials for the Study of
the War; National School Service, Vol. I,
No. 3 (C.P.I.); New York Times History of the
European War.

FOOTNOTES:

[2] In an interview with the British ambassador, as
reported by the ambassador August 4, 1914.

CHAPTER IX

THE WAR IN 1915

THE WESTERN FRONT.—­The deadlock which existed
on the western front at the close of 1914 continued
with little change during the year 1915. There
were indeed many contests which, on account of the
men involved and the casualties, would in previous
wars have been considered major engagements; but in
spite of great preparations neither side was able to
make much impression upon the entrenched line of the
enemy. From the sea to the Swiss border two apparently
impregnable lines of trenches faced each other.